Using the WebLogic
Diagnostic Framework
Console Extension

Working with All Charts and Graphs

Metrics charts contain one or more graphs that real-time and harvested MBean metric information.

Method performance charts contain one or more graphs displaying elapsed time information for a given instrumented method.

Both kinds of charts can display information from one or more running server instances in the domain.

Many of the tasks you perform when working with charts are the same for both types. Some tasks are different for the different types. The following sections describe how to work with both kinds of charts:

Several graph styles are available for presenting data: area, area radar, bar, plot, scatter plot, stacking area, and stacking bar. For instructions on how to set those styles, see Setting a Chart Graphing Style.

Adding Charts to Views

You create and add charts to views by dragging items from the Metricstab or the Requests tab, as described in the following steps.

Select the Views tab and select the view to which you want to add a chart (or create a new view). Figure 6-2 shows an empty view.

Figure 6-2 Empty View

Select the Metrics tab to create a chart based on metrics, or select the Requests tab to create a chart based on events generated by instrumented methods.

Creating an Empty Chart

Adding Graphs to Existing Charts

To graph data from more than one data source on the same chart (that is to add a graph to an existing chart), drag the appropriate item from the Metrics tab or the Requests tab to the existing graph in the View panel, as described in the following steps:

Select the Views tab to display the list of views.

Click the view containing the chart to which you want to add another graph (data source). Figure 6-7 shows a chart with one graph.

Figure 6-7 Chart with One Graph

Select the Metrics tab to add a graph based on metrics, or click the Requests tab to add a graph based on instrumentation events.

Note:

All graphs in a chart must be based on the same type of diagnostic data. That is, you cannot add metrics data to a method performance chart or instrumentation data to a metrics chart.

Repositioning a Chart

To reposition a chart in a view:

Select the Views tab and select the view containing the chart you want to reposition.

Drag the chart to the new position in the view. That is, click the chart and hold the mouse button down while you drag. You position the chart above, below, to the left, or to the right of an existing chart. When the chart is in an acceptable position, a band of the background is darkened. This behavior is the same as when creating a new chart, as illustrated in Figure 6-5.

Merging Charts

When you merge charts, all the graphs and associated legend entries of the source chart are added to the graphs and the legend of the target chart. Properties of the target chart--such as the title, colors, and the Y-axis label--are maintained, and any conflicting properties from the source chart are lost. Once successfully merged, the source chart is deleted.

You can merge one or more charts in the same view or in different views.

To merge one chart with another in the same view:

Select the Views tab and select the view containing the charts you want to merge.

Drag the source chart onto the target chart. That is, click the chart and hold the mouse button down while you drag. When the source chart is positioned correctly over the target chart, the background of the target chart is darkened.

Release the mouse button.

All the graphs and associated legend entries of the source chart are added to the graphs and the legend of the target chart. Properties of the target chart--such as the title, colors, and the Y-axis label--are maintained, and any conflicting properties from the source chart are lost. Once successfully merged, the source chart is deleted.

Moving a Graph to a Different Chart or to a New Chart

You can move a graph to a different chart only if the target chart does not already contain a graph based on the same data source.

To move a graph from one chart to another:

Select the Views tab and select the view containing the graph you want to move. The source chart and the target chart must be in the same view.

Shift-click the graph (or its legend entry) to select it. Release the Shift key and the mouse button, and do not click or select anything else until you perform the instructions in the following step.

Drag the graph from the source chart to the target chart or to an empty area in the view. That is, click the already selected graph and hold the mouse button down while you drag. When the graph is positioned correctly over the target chart (or over the empty area), the background of the target chart (or the empty area) is darkened.

Release the mouse button. The graph and its legend are added to the target chart and removed from the source chart. If you dragged to an empty area, a new chart containing the graph is created.

Arranging Charts and Graphs in Views

Table 6-1 shows how to copy, move, and duplicate charts and graphs by dragging and dropping with the mouse, by using context menus with the mouse, and by using the keyboard. For brevity, some common information is not repeated for each item in the table. That information is as follows:

When you move a chart or graph, the original is deleted (that is, it is removed from its original position).

When you copy or duplicate a chart or graph, the original remains unchanged.

When you merge a chart, the original chart is deleted.

Dragand drop means to click an item with the mouse, move it to a new location without releasing the mouse button, then releasing the mouse button to place the item in the new location.

To copy a graph or chart by dragging and dropping, start dragging the item, press the Ctrl key before releasing the mouse button, then drop the item (release the button) in the selected position.

When you right-click in the View panel, a context menu is displayed. The menu contains commands that are appropriate for the current context. Context menus in the View panel contain several commands for arranging charts and graphs.

To select a chart using the mouse, click the chart in the View panel. To select a graph in a chart, Shift-click the graph, or Shift-click the name of the graph in the chart legend. You can then right-click the selected graph (or graph name) to display a context menu.

To select a chart in the View panel using the keyboard, press Tab or Shift+Tab to cycle through the items, that is, to select one item after the other. See also Keyboard Reference.

When you select Paste chart to new chart from a context menu or press Ctrl+Shift+V from the keyboard, the most recently cut or copied item is inserted at the top of the current view. If the item is a graph, a new chart containing that graph is created.

You can drag and drop a graph or chart to place it in a specific location above, below, or to the left or right of an existing chart. To do this, you drag the item to a border area, which is highlighted when it is selected. However, you cannot select a border area using context menus or the keyboard. Therefore you cannot use those methods to select a specific location to insert a chart. However, you can select Paste chart to new chart from a context menu or press Ctrl+Shift+V from the keyboard to insert an item at the top of the current view

To use the keyboard to select a different view:

Press Ctrl+to select the Tabs panel.

Press Tab repeatedly until the current tab title is selected.

If the current tab is not the Views tab, press or repeatedly until the Views tab is selected.

Press Tab to enter the Views tab.

Press or repeatedly until the desired view is selected.

Press Enter.

Press Ctrl+ to select the View panel again.

Table 6-1 Arranging Charts and Graphs

Action

Using Drag and Drop

Using Context Menus

Using the Keyboard

Move a chart to a different position in the same view

Drag the chart to the new position.

Drop the chart.

Right-click the chart.

Select Move Chart, then select a position from the submenus.

Select the chart.

Press Ctrl+X.

Press Ctrl+Shift+V.

Move a chart to a different view

Not available

Right-click the chart.

Select Cut Chart.

Select the target view.

Right-click anywhere in the view.

Select Paste chart to new chart.

Select chart.

Press Ctrl+X.

Select the target view.

Press Ctrl-Shift-V.

Copy a chart to a different view

Not available

Right-click the chart.

Select Copy Chart.

Select the target view.

Right-click in view.

Select Paste chart to new chart.

Select the chart.

Press Ctrl+C.

Select the target view.

Press Ctrl+Shift+V.

Duplicate a chart in the same view

Drag the chart to the new position

Press Ctrl while dragging.

Drop the chart.

Right-click the chart.

Select Copy Chart.

Right-click anywhere in the view.

Select Paste chart to new chart.

Select the chart.

Press Ctrl+C.

Press Ctrl+Shift+V.

Merge a chart with another chart in the same view

Drag the source chart to the target chart.

Drop the chart.

Right-click the source chart.

Select Cut Chart.

Right-click the target chart.

Select Paste chart.

Select the source chart.

Press Ctrl+X.

Select the target chart.

Press Ctrl+V.

Merge a copy of a chart with another chart in the same view

Drag the source chart to the target chart

Press Ctrl while dragging.

Drop the chart.

Right-click the source chart.

Select Copy chart.

Right-click the target chart.

Select Paste chart.

Select the source chart.

Press Ctrl+C.

Select the target chart.

Press Ctrl+V.

Merge a chart with a chart in a different view

Not available

Right-click the source chart.

Select Cut chart.

Select the other view.

Right-click the target chart.

Select Paste chart.

Select the source chart.

Press Ctrl+X.

Select the other view.

Select the target chart.

Press Ctrl+V.

Merge a copy of a chart with a chart in a different view

Not available

Right-click the source chart.

Select Copy Chart.

Select another view.

Right-click the target chart.

Select Paste chart.

Select the source chart.

Press Ctrl+C.

Select the other view.

Select the target chart.

Press Ctrl+V.

Move a graph to a different chart in the same view

Drag the graph to the target chart.

Drop the graph.

Shift-click the graph.

Right-click the selected graph.

Select Cut graph.

Right-click the target chart.

Select Paste graph.

Select the source graph.

Press Ctrl+X.

Select the target chart.

Press Ctrl+V.

Copy a graph to another chart in the same view

Drag the graph to the target chart.

Press Ctrl while dragging.

Drop the graph.

Shift-click the graph.

Right-click the selected graph.

Select Copy graph.

Right-click the target chart.

Select Paste graph.

Select the source graph.

Press Ctrl+C.

Select the target chart.

Press Ctrl+V.

Move a graph to a chart in a different view

Not available

Shift-click the graph.

Right-click the selected graph.

Select Cut graph.

Select the other view.

Right-click the target chart.

Select Paste graph.

Select the source graph.

Press Ctrl+X.

Select the other view.

Select the target chart.

Press Ctrl+V.

Copy a graph to a chart in a different view

Not available

Shift-click the graph.

Right-click the selected graph.

Select Copy graph.

Select the other view.

Right-click the target chart.

Select Paste graph.

Select the source graph.

Press Ctrl+C.

Select the target chart.

Press Ctrl+V.

Copy a graph to create a new chart in the same view

Drag the graph to a border in the view.

Press Ctrl while dragging.

Drop the graph.

Shift-click the graph.

Right-click the selected graph.

Select Copy graph.

Right-click anywhere in the view.

Select Paste chart to new chart.

Select the source graph.

Press Ctrl+C.

Press Ctrl+Shift+V.

Move a graph to create a new chart in the same view

Shift-click the graph.

Drag the selected graph to a border area in the view.

Drop the graph to create a new chart.

Shift-click the graph.

Right-click the selected graph.

Select Cut graph.

Right-click anywhere in the view.

Select Paste chart to new chart.

Select the source graph.

Press Ctrl+X.

Press Ctrl+Shift+V.

Copy a graph to create a new chart in a different view

Not available

Shift-click the graph.

Right-click the selected graph.

Select Copy graph.

Select the other view.

Right-click anywhere in the view.

Select Paste chart to new chart.

Select the source graph.

Press Ctrl+C.

Select the other view.

Press Ctrl+Shift+V.

Move a graph to create a new chart in a different view

Not available

Shift-click the graph.

Right-click the selected graph.

Select Cut graph.

Select the other view.

Right-click anywhere in the view.

Select Paste chart to new chart.

Select the source graph.

Press Ctrl+X.

Select the other view.

Press Ctrl+Shift+V.

Starting and Stopping Data Collection for Charts in a View

To start data collection for the charts in a view:

Select the Views tab.

Click the name of the view you want to start. Alternatively, right-click the name of the view and select Start. The view is displayed in the View panel, and data collection begins.

To stop data collection for the charts in a view:

Select the Views tab.

Right-click the name of the view you want to stop and select Stop.

To stop all data collection for all views, click the (Stop All Active Views) button in the toolbar. (It is not necessary to first select the Views tab.)

Scrolling and Zooming the Data Displayed in a Chart

You can display or hide the scrollbar for a chart, as explained in Turning a Chart Scrollbar On and Off. The scrollbar includes controls for scrolling through data in the chart and for zooming in and out of the data in a chart.

The scrollbar and zoom controls are displayed below the chart, as shown in Figure 6-10.

Figure 6-10 Scrollbar for a Chart

The scrollbar contains controls for scrolling through historical data and for zooming in and out of a set of data to change the time span displayed in the chart. The controls are shown in Table 6-2.

Table 6-2 Controls in the Scrollbar

Control

Name

Use

Thumb

Drag to scroll through historical data.

Left scroll arrow

Click to scroll backwards through historical data.

Right scroll arrow

Click to scroll forwards through historical data.

To display or hide the scrollbar for a chart:

Right-click anywhere in the chart.

From the context menu, select Show Scrollbar to display the scrollbar or Hide Scrollbar to hide it.

Scrolling Through Historical Data in a Chart

Under certain circumstances, described below, you can scroll back and forth through a chart’s history, to see both historical and current data for the chart. Historical data is always retrieved from an archive, which means that historical data is only available if you have configured WLDF to gather metrics data (for metrics charts) and/or if you have configured WLDF to gather instrumentation data (for method performance charts). For more information about how this is handled, see Understanding How Data Is Collected and Presented.

To scroll through historical data:

Make sure that WLDF was configured to collect the metrics or instrumentation data you want to monitor.

Select the chart containing the data you want to monitor.

Drag the scrollbar’s thumb control to the interval you want to monitor. As you drag the thumb control, a message is displayed that shows the beginning and end times of the intervals you are scrolling through.

Alternatively, click p (left scroll arrow) to scroll backwards or click (right scroll arrow) to scroll forward. Clicking these buttons scrolls the viewport (the span displayed in the chart) by 10% of the viewport width. Clicking directly on the scrollbar (not on the thumb control) scrolls the viewport by 50% of the viewport width.

While you scroll, a message is displayed showing the time intervals you are scrolling through. When you stop scrolling, the data is retrieved for the selected interval. To display the dates and times for the visible interval, position the mouse pointer anywhere on the scrollbar.

If no archived data is available for a metrics graph, only the data available in the cache of actively polled metrics can be displayed. If you scroll to a point earlier than the data available in the cache, no data is displayed for that graph.

It can happen that you scroll back to view historical data that is not backed by the WLDF archive, and then that data expires from the cache while it is still displayed in the chart. If that happens, you will not be able to view that historical data again once you scroll away from it. To alert you that the data points have expired, the chart behind those data points is darkened, and tooltips for the chart and for the expired data points display messages to report that the data has expired. For example, see Table 6-11.

Figure 6-11 Expired Data Points

To display current data after scrolling:

Select the chart.

Do one of the following:

Move the thumb control all the way to the right on the scroll bar, or

Right-click the chart, then select View Current Data from the context menu.

Zooming In and Out of Data in a Chart

You can zoom into the data shown in a chart to expand the view of data points for a shorter time span, and you can zoom out to show details about a longer time span.

Zoom in and out as follows:

To zoom in on the X-axis, right-click anywhere in the chart and select Zoom In (or press Alt-z). You zoom in to a percentage displayed time interval. Set the percentage in the Global Properties tab.

To zoom out of the X-axis, right-click anywhere in the chart and select Zoom Out (or press Alt-o).

To zoom in on the X-axis by a custom interval, Shift-drag over an area of the chart. That is, press and hold the Shift key, then drag the mouse pointer over the area of the chart you want to display. (You must release the mouse button before you release the Shift key.)

To reset the interval to its state before it was zoomed, right-click the chart and select Zoom Reset (R) from the context menu (or press Alt-r). Resetting the zoom state resets the interval back to the default interval of five minutes, starting at the start time which was in effect before zooming.

Deleting a Graph from a Chart

To delete a graph from a chart:

Select the Views tab and select the view containing the chart containing the graph you want to delete.

Select the graph in either of the following ways:

Shift-click anywhere on the graph.

Shift-click on the legend entry for the graph.

Click the (Delete) button in the toolbar, or press the Delete key.

Note:

If you discard changes to the view containing the deleted graph, you can recover it. However, you cannot selectively discard changes, so you will lose any other changes you made, too. Once you save changes to the view, the deleted graph is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.

Deleting a Chart

To delete a chart:

Select the Views tab and select the view containing the chart you want to delete.

Click the chart. A border appears around the chart to show it has been selected.

Click the (Delete) button in the toolbar, or press the Delete key.

Note:

If you discard changes to the view containing the deleted chart, you can recover it. However, you cannot selectively discard changes, so you will lose any other changes you made, too. Once you save changes to the view, the deleted chart is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.

Setting Chart Properties

When you create a chart, it is created with default visual and control properties. To change those properties:

Select the Views tab and select the view containing the chart whose properties you want to change.

Click the Apply Changes button to apply your changes to the selected chart.

Note:

You can change some properties directly in the View panel. For example, you can right-click a chart name or view name to display an edit field and then type a new name in the field. In that case, you do not have to click Apply Changes. Just click outside the text box to see your changes.

Alternatively, click Discard Changes to restore the settings that were in effect when you started changing them, or click Restore Defaults to restore the WLDF Console Extension default settings for charts.

Note:

Applying a change to a property does not save it for future use. See step 6.

If this is a chart in a custom view, you can save the changes so they will be restored the next time you open the WLDF Console Extension. (You cannot save changes to a chart in a built-in view.) To save a custom chart, you must save the view, as follows:

Select the Views tab.

Click the Save button.

Alternatively, on the toolbar, click the (Save All Modified Views) button.

Note:

You cannot save changes to the properties of a chart in a built-in view.

Changing a Chart Name

You can change the name of charts in built-in and custom views. But you can save the name only for charts in custom views. To change the name of a chart:

Resetting Auto-Scaling in Linear and Radial Gauges

Before the first metric value is received and displayed in an empty gauge, the gauge is in “auto-scale” mode. This means that the minimum and maximum values for the scale are not yet set and will be determined based on the value of the first metric. When that first value is received, the scale’s maximum value is set to 150% of the value and the scale’s minimum value is set to -150% of the value, thus placing the current value in the middle of the scale. If a metric reports a value higher or lower than those thresholds, the needle points to the maximum or minimum value. That is, the scale is not automatically rescaled.

To return a gauge to auto-scale mode, do one of the following:

Select Gauge Auto-scale from the gauge’s context menu.

Press Alt-A.

When the first value is received by the chart, the scale will be set to 150% maximum and 150% minimum, as described above, and will remain that way until you reset auto-scale again.

Displaying Thresholds in Linear and Radial Gauges

You can indicate a threshold value on a gauge to call attention to any value that is outside the normal value range for the metric. When the threshold is exceeded, the area below the needle in the gauge is displayed in the “highlight” color specified for the gauge. (See Changing Chart Foreground and Background Colors.)

You can only explicity set an upper threshold, as explained above. However, you can create the effect of reporting on a metric value that falls below a lower threshold by switching the background and and highlight colors for the gauge.

Turning a Chart Legend On and Off

A chart’s legend identifies each graph on the chart. Each line in the legend shows the color and graphic used to plot the data points and identifies the data source for the graph.

From the context menu, select Hide Legend to turn the legend off, or select Show Legend to turn the legend back on. (You can also press Alt-L to toggle the legend on and off.)

Turning a Chart Scrollbar On and Off

You can use the scrollbar to scroll back through historical data and the attached zoom controls to zoom in and out of data, as explained in Scrolling and Zooming the Data Displayed in a Chart. The scrollbar is hidden by default, however, you can display it and hide it again, as follows:

From the context menu, select Hide Scrollbar to turn the scrollbar off, or select Show Scrollbar to turn the scrollbar back on. (You can also press Alt-S to toggle the scrollbar on and off.)

Changing Chart Foreground and Background Colors

The foreground color for a chart includes the color of the text used for the legend and the color of the X- and Y-axis lines and values. The background color is the color used for the background of the entire chart.

Click the Apply Changes button to apply your changes to the selected chart.

Alternatively, click Discard Changes to restore the settings that were in effect when you started changing them, or click Restore Defaults to restore the WLDF Console Extension default settings for charts.

Note:

Applying a change to a property doesn’t save it for future use. See step 6.

If this graph is in a chart in a custom view, you can save the changes so they will be restored the next time you open the WLDF Console Extension. (You cannot save changes to a chart in a built-in view.) To save a custom chart, you must save the view, as follows:

Select the Views tab.

Click the Save button.

Alternatively, on the toolbar, click the (Save All Modified Views) button.

Note:

You cannot save changes to the properties of a chart in a built-in view.

Changing a Graph Name

When you drag an item onto a chart to create a graph of the item’s data points, a name is assigned by default. This name appears in the legend for the chart containing the graph. You can change the name, as follows:

Changing a Graph Scaling Factor

Adjusting the scaling factor for a graph adjusts the units used for the Y-Axis. For example, if a Y-Axis unit of 60,000 is scaled to 1, and you change the scaling factor to 10, the units are changed to 600,000. Changing the scaling factor of a graph is useful when a chart contains more than one graph, and you want to adjust the different graphs to be able to see them in relation to each other.

Changing a Graph’s Colors

The foreground color for a graph includes the color of the line and symbols used to plot data in the graph, where appropriate. The background color is the fill color for the graph, where appropriate for the selected graph style. These colors are assigned by default, but you can change them, as follows:

Autoscroll Speed. If a view contains several charts, you may have to scroll the window to see all the charts. If you drag an item from the Tabs panel towards an edge of such a view, the window scrolls so you can add the item to the hidden part of the view. The Autoscroll Speed setting sets the speed of the scrolling, in inches per second.

Autoscroll Insets. The width of the region surrounding a panel that is used to trigger automatic scrolling.

Default Viewport Size. The default size of the chart viewport in minutes. You can change the viewport size by zooming in or out.

Zoom Percentage. The percentage by which the chart viewport size is changed during a zoom in (Alt-z) or a zoom out (Alt-o) operation.